


Let the Right One In

by 2Lot



Category: Criminal Minds
Genre: Abduction, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Vampire, Alternate Universe - Werewolf, F/F, Horror, Kidnapping, M/M, Private Investigators, Vamp Elle, Vamp Gideon, Vampire Aaron, Vampire Child Jake, Vampire Family, Vampires, Werewolf Dave - Freeform, Werewolf Morgan, Werewolves, Werwolf Emily
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-07-28
Updated: 2015-07-28
Packaged: 2018-04-11 17:48:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,604
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4445897
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/2Lot/pseuds/2Lot
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Vampire/werewolf AU. The BAU members are all supernatural creatures on two sides of a war. Poor, clueless human Spencer gets caught in the middle. <br/>Hotch is a Vampire/private investigator who helps Reid find his friend Morgan when he is abducted by werewolves.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Let the Right One In

Prologue

Not once in the twenty short years of his life had Spencer Reid felt as lost and scared as he did in this very moment. He felt his heart beating all the way up in his throat, the pulse thrumming in his ears as he clutched the cell phone in his hand so tightly the knuckles turned white.

"What´s happening, Derek?" he asked breathlessly, his strained voice barely more than a whisper that echoed from the walls in the hallway of his apartment.

He didn't understand how his whole life had been turned upside down in just a matter of days, making everything he had thought true and reliable seem like nothing but feeble phantoms now.

Why was this happening to him? What had he ever done to deserve getting his life ripped out of his hands without so much as a moment's notice?

He really wanted to ask Derek but knew that it would be pointless and that there wasn't any time to.

"Spencer, listen to me," he could hear the stress in Derek's voice, could hear him moving with inhuman speed as he ran through the streets towards the apartment, "I´ll be right there. Whatever you do, don't leave the apartment now. And if he shows up, don't let him in, you hear me?"

Spencer let a shaky breath escape his lungs, unable to form an answer as he clutched the handle to his open apartment door with trembling fingers. His eyes flickered over the shadowy figure standing in the door frame, smiling down at him darkly, sharp teeth gleaming in the dim light.

He really wished Derek had called him a little sooner.

xxxx

Chapter 1: Changes

Finally, after what seemed like hours of sitting in his stuffy old car in front of the university did he emerge.

He wasn't alone yet again, he never seemed to go anywhere without at least one or two people following him around. The two humans he was with now were the most frequent ones with him though, a young woman with blonde hair and a bright clashing outfit and a skinny boy who looked younger than the other two, dressed like a very awkward librarian.

He scoffed.

Hard to tell what he saw in them when he was so clearly superior to them. Because really, what were they in the greater scheme of things? Nothing but annoying flies to be swatted away before the endgame. Once it was time that would be a walk in the park and a pleasure. For now he had to focus solely on him.

Derek, they called him.

He was walking down the stairs with them, all of them chatting and laughing as they headed towards the parking lot. Just then, the woman swatted his arm playfully and he grinned; it looked like he was very fond of her for some unfathomable reason.

That was nothing compared to the skinny kid though. Whenever he had seen Derek lay eyes on the brunette boy these past weeks he´d seen them light up from inside, giving his face a glowing undertone.

Even now he was walking closer to him than he had found was usual for human males, grabbing the satchel his friend was carrying and throwing it over his own muscular shoulder. The kid said something, maybe in protest, but Derek merely grinned, draping a heavy arm around his thin shoulders and ruffling his hair playfully before he pulled him along.

Looking on, the girl grinned and said something he couldn't hear from the distance. He could guess at the content though when he saw the kid blush. He didn't pull away from the taller man´s embrace though, clearly comfortable enough.

The sight irked him, made him angry even but he told himself that it didn't matter anyway. It wasn't like he´d have to watch them overshadow Derek's light for much longer.

He kept watching until they had reached their car and gotten in, driving of. Only then did he start his own motor, slowly starting into the slow afternoon traffic.

Soon.

Soon it would finally be time. He had been watching him for weeks now, an invisible partaker to his life. Now it was time he would finally be made part of their life.

xxx

Four days later:

It was just after sunset on a clear winter day when 22 year old college student Derek Morgan was walking home from his kickboxing training. The wind stung on his sweat covered skin and he pulled his leather jacket closer around him as he hurried down the streets.

The walk home wasn't a particularly long one but he was running late so he decided to call and let his roommate know not to worry. He pulled his cell phone out of his pocket, dialed, waited and smiled when he heard a familiar voice answer, the other person audibly suppressing a yawn.

"Derek, where are you?" Spencer sounded like he´d just woken up, likely tired from spending another twelve hour day at the university's library, devouring books of which Derek couldn't even spell the title.

Derek couldn't help but smile that the mental image of the skinny genius curled up on their couch, trying to order his unruly hair as he answered the phone. "Hey, pretty boy. I'm just on my way back, I got held up at the gym."

He looked up to find he was just passing the central park, black trees rustling and swaying in the wind above his head.

"Oh…alright," Spencer said, "I made some Spaghetti earlier. They are on the stove in case I´m already asleep again when you get here."

"Spaghetti again, huh?" Derek grinned, "Seriously, had I known you can only cook one dish I would have roomed with Penelope."

"We can still make that happen, Derek. And may I remind you that that is still one more recipe than you have to offer, mister." 

Spencer´s tone was light and joking but Derek still couldn't help but wince slightly.

Over the past few months their friendship had gone through some rough patches and it wasn't too long ago that he had had to fight to to keep Spencer from moving out of their shared apartment. He wasn't too keen on repeating that experience, especially not over noodles.

"I'm just teasing, Spencer," he grimaced, hoping it wasn't audible in his voice, "you know that, right?"

"Yes, I know," there was a short silence, then Spencer chuckled, "After all, Penny can't cook either."

Derek shook his head with a snort, about to reassure the younger man once more that that wasn't the only reason he would never move out willingly when there was a sudden noise behind him, startling him.

He spun around, immediately alert as he looked around for any possible threats.

The area he was in wasn't a particularly unsafe one, but his pulse had quickened anyway. There was nothing there though, just the silence of the street and the nightly wind rustling through the trees. He listened intently for a long moment but nothing moved.

"Derek?" 

He could hear worry in Spencer's voice and snapped back to reality quickly.

"Yeah, I'm still there," he said distractedly, still looking around, "Just thought I heard something. Listen, I´ll be right there, ok? Don't fall asleep yet."

He wanted to at least see Spencer for a couple of minutes today –he didn't really object to watching him sleep either but he had been informed that that was just a little bit creepy by several sources.

Spencer yawned again, "Hmm. Hurry though. I've been up since five."

"I will," Derek grinned, "Wouldn't want to be responsible for putting rings under those pretty eyes of yours."

"Right." He couldn't practically hear Spencer roll his eyes at his words, wishing he could see the faint blush that had surely crept into his cheeks anyway. "Less talking, more walking, Derek."

He laughed, loving the way Spencer would always sound flustered when he intended to sound annoyed with him.

He hung up, hurrying his steps. He could be home in ten minutes if he didn't drag his feet. They were both extremely busy during the week but Derek always tried to arrange his schedule so they could at least have one meal together.

No matter what anyone thought about it, or how often the guys from his sport clubs teased him about hanging out with a nerd, seeing Spencer was always the highlight of his day.

He let his thoughts wander a bit as he walked, to how unlikely a connection between him and Spencer Reid had seemed back when they had met on their first day of college.

He had been the typical stud, handsome, tall, and athletic, with a basketball scholarship and more groupies than he could count from day one. Spencer had been the brilliant and yet awkward kid who had entered college at sixteen and who had been pushed into tutoring Derek by one of their professors. No one in their right mind would have bet anything on them becoming friends, unless it would be little Spencer tailing after the great Derek Morgan in silent, envious admiration.

As it had turned out, it was just the other way around.

Derek had been fascinated with his tutor from the first minute, not giving up until he had a place in his life despite Spencer´s initial distrust in the jock.

It wasn't the easiest of connections and they'd had their share of troubles –including The Incident—something Spencer had forgiven him for and which they had put behind them. Now, four years after their first meeting, they were best friends sharing an apartment and one of the deepest relationships Derek had ever been a part of.

He had a lot of friends, but, no matter what they or his mother said about it, he couldn't think of anyone better to come home to than Spencer.

His thoughts were interrupted suddenly when there was a loud crack in the trees to his left, startling him once more.

Before he could even turn in the direction of the sound though, there was a sharp pain between his shoulder blades seemingly out of nowhere, a hard shove sending his sprawling to the ground. His cell phone slithered across the rough concrete, the same concrete that cut into his palms and knees as he caught himself at the last second.

Derek's head whipped around and he flexed his muscles, ready to fight whoever had attacked him, but he wasn't fast enough to even see more than a flash as a dark shadow suddenly pounced on him, shoving him back onto the ground painfully. Hard hands gripped his shoulders before he could fight them off and he found himself staring up at his attacker: The shadows covered his face, giving it the same color as his dark coat and the eyes gleaming in the light of the street lamps in a way that seemed almost unearthly.

"What the-?" Fight instinct kicking in, he bucked to throw the man off of him, but found him to be surprisingly heavy. A punch he threw was easily deflected and suddenly there were long, hard fingers curled around his throat, squeezing mercilessly. Derek felt his heart racing as he fought for air, legs kicking uselessly in the air.

The man above him barely seemed to notice his violent struggling, staring down at him out of those eerie eyes with frightening calm.

Tightening his grip around Derek's throat, he leaned down until their faces were only a couple of inches apart, rasping words he couldn't understand.

"In aeternum meus es tu."

And before Derek could even begin to understand, he ripped his head back, light finally illuminating his face and showing the visage of a monster, yellow eyes and razor sharp fangs as he grinned down at him.

Then there was only excruciating, blinding pain as he lunged for Derek's neck, burying those same teeth in the juncture between his shoulder and throat.

xx


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Instinct

Spencer opened his eyes and blinked immediately against the blinding light that surrounded him. Everything was sort of blurry but he could make out that he was in the university´s lecture hall, sitting in his usual seat in the first row by himself. All around him he could hear the buzzing of the other students´ voices, chatting and laughing, entirely excluding him.

Business as usual. He had never felt much grief over being an outsider, had simply figured that was his place. He was different from them, he didn't fit in and he knew that. That didn't keep him from feeling lonely sometimes though…

He jumped when someone touched his head from behind, spinning around to find Derek Morgan sitting in the row behind him, grinning as he leaned over his seat and kept toying with a long strand of Spencer's hair.

"All work and no play, pretty boy?" he smiled his usual billion watt smile, blinding Spencer even more.

With Derek he didn't mind though. He couldn't help but smile back, leaning into a dark hand as it tucked his hair behind his ear with casual familiarity.

Derek seemed the only one whose contours he could make out clearly against the light, the only really substantial thing. But then, that was hardly surprising. After all Derek had turned out to be an exception to almost every single one of his rules. The only one he let into his personal space, whose touch didn't feel invasive, the only one he really trusted. The only one without whom he really did feel lonely. His best friend.

"Come on, Spencer," Derek said in that moment, grasping his wrist with warm fingers to pull him to his feet.

"Where are we going?" Spencer asked, still disoriented in the bright room but trusting nonetheless.

No one else was acknowledging them, their voices fading as Derek spoke. "I have to go. Please…come with me." 

He wasn't smiling anymore at that last part, his face suddenly looking almost scared, lost as he reached out for Spencer's hand. Spencer gasped as their surroundings faded into white, leaving them in a sea of insubstantial fog. Suddenly he felt scared, reaching out to keep Derek close but missing his hand by centimeters it seemed.

Derek was looking at him almost pleadingly as he drew away from him, the fog covering him more and more. Spencer tried running after him, holding him back, but he couldn't move his feet. "Derek!"

But his friend was gone, leaving him lost and frightened, screaming his name in vain.

"DEREK!"

Spencer Reid shot up from his sleep with a gasp, shaking as he slowly orientated himself, realizing he wasn't in class but in his living room. He ran a shaky hand through his tousled hair taking a deep breath.

Just a dream.

He must have fallen back asleep after Derek called. He looked around, half expecting the light in the kitchen or bathroom to be on or to find his friend sitting in the armchair across from the couch as he so often did but everything was dark and empty.

Confused, he glanced at the clock. Almost nine.

It had been hours since Derek had called.

With a sudden uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach he disentangled himself from his blanket and got up, checking every room of the apartment to see if Derek had come home and just not woken him. Nothing.

Spencer bit his lip, the anxious feeling from his dream returning full force. Where was he? He had said he´d be right there. Could he have changed his mind? He walked over to where his cell phone lay and glanced at the display. No messages. No, Derek would have called if something had come up, he was sure of that.

Really worried now, he speed dialed his friend´s number, impatiently waiting for him to pick up. Again, nothing.

Without hesitation he dialed another number, getting an answer right away.

"You're speaking with the Almighty Goddess of all things technology, what can I do you for?" a bright female voice chirped on the other end.

Normally Spencer would have smiled but at the moment he couldn't even focus, "Pen, it´s Spencer. Is Derek with you?"

"Oh, hey honey," their mutual friend chirped, "Uh, no. I haven't spoken to him since this morning. Why?"

Spencer felt his heart fall, debating whether to worry her, too. "I'm not sure. He was supposed to be here hours ago and he's not answering his cell phone."

"Hmm," Penny made, "I'm sure he's fine, darling, he'll probably walk in any minute. You know how much he hates to leave you all by yourself."

Spencer felt heat creeping into his cheeks at the insinuation but deliberately ignored her jibe, "Maybe you're right. Sorry for bothering you."

"Oh, don't be silly. Call me once you've reached him, kay?"

"Thanks, I will." With that he hung up.

For a minute or so he just stood in the dark kitchen area, staring at his phone. Then, making a quick decision he grabbed his coat from the hanger and pulled on his shoes, heading for the door to their apartment.

He´d just have to look for Derek on the way he would have taken home, just to make sure nothing had happened.

His hand was already on the door knob when it was suddenly turned from outside, a key slipping into the lock.

Thank God.

Without waiting, Reid ripped the door open, about to either give Derek a piece of his mind or hug him in relief.

Instead, what he saw, even in the dim lightening of the hallway, was so shocking that he jumped, his heart missing a beat.

Derek almost wasn't recognizable. He looked like a walking corpse, face ashen and glazed eyes sunken into their hollows as he stared straight at him. There were dark smears all over his clothes, his neck and his face, the corners of his mouth. They were so dark that they almost looked like oil.

"Oh my God, Derek, what—?" Shock morphing into worry when he realized that something awful must have happened to his friend, Spencer automatically reached out to touch the gaping wound on his neck, fingers grazing the wetness covering it.

Blood.

At his touch, Derek's body tensed and his eyes flashed brightly. Before he knew it, large hands suddenly shot out without warning, grabbing him and shoving him back into the apartment. Spencer gasped in shock when he suddenly found himself with his back pressed to the wall, Derek's massive body all but crushing him. He smelt of dirt and sweat and blood, a mixture which turned Spencer's stomach, giving his apprehension an edge of panic.

His first instinct had been fear for Derek's well being, his hands coming up to support the older man, but it didn't take him more than a few seconds to realize that Derek wasn't clinging to him like this because he needed someone to keep him from falling. His grip wasn't helpless but strong and relentless, hot body pressing closer and leaving him immobile.

Spencer felt his breath catch in his throat, his heart suddenly beginning to race much faster. Something wasn't right. This wasn't how Derek would ever act, he hadn't come this close to him unasked since…

Instinctively, he pushed hard against Derek's arms. Without success. "Derek, what-?"

At the sound of his voice, his friend finally drew back a little, looking into his face.

His expression caused Spencer's heart to tumble straight into his stomach. He was looking at him with eyes so black and wild and frighteningly unfamiliar that he wouldn't have recognized them as Derek's under any other circumstance. They barely looked human as they fixated him in a way that made his blood freeze.

He flinched when Derek suddenly leaned closer, turning his head so that Spencer could feel his breath on his neck, teeth grazing his skin.

Startled, he tried to pull away but Derek wouldn't let him. Instead he inhaled almost greedily, fingernails digging into Spencer's thin arms painfully.

"Mine..." he whispered right by his ear, making him shiver in shock and rising fear.

Spencer couldn't suppress a whimper, helpless tears welling up in his eyes as he pressed the side of his face to the wall.

Something was so wrong. This wasn't Derek whose behavior was so strange, so frightening.

He let out a shaky breath, blood rushing in his ears and fear constricting his chest until he could barely breathe. "Derek." he heard his own voice crack as the man's grip tightened painfully, trapping him, mouth still against his throat. "Derek, please, you're scaring me…"

For a long, dreadful moment he was sure he hadn't even been heard. Derek's breath hit his neck- too hot, too close—as he pressed him into the wall.

Then though he pulled his head back slightly, eyes still black but with a curious expression as he fixated Spencer's tear streaked face, seemingly fighting with himself. His expression softened and his grip let up ever so slightly - Spencer was about to breathe out in relief when he suddenly felt a rough, wet tongue tracing the line his tears had left on his cheek.

He jerked away, pressing his eyes shut tightly in dread.

"Derek!"

He didn't know if it was the definite edge of panic in his voice but this time Derek did react to it.

Slowly, he pulled back and they just stared at each other, Derek absolutely motionless while Spencer was shaking and breathing fast. It seemed like forever but gradually Derek's eyes did clear, reason returning to them.

"Spencer…" he whispered his name, so hushed that he almost missed it over the sudden expression of horror that crossed Derek's face.

Derek. Finally. Spencer closed his eyes for a moment to blink his tears away.

When he opened them again, he was alone, nothing but his sore arms and back as reminders of Derek's presence.

Spencer let out a shaky sob, staring wide eyed into the dark and to the half open door.

Derek was gone, nowhere to be seen or heard. The shock, the fear, the racing of his heart remained.

His legs gave out and he sunk down with this back to the wall, pressing a trembling hand to his mouth.

What had just happened?


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Aftermath

That next morning, Derek Morgan woke with the worst hangover of his entire life.

He couldn't remember drinking anything the night before and yet his head felt like his skull was about to split in two and his body was so sore he felt it in every bone. He groaned, clutching his head where he lay. It didn't help that the noises surrounding him seemed to have the intensity of a jackhammer. Where the hell was that coming from anyway?

Resisting the urge to slap his hands over his ears, he blinked, taking a moment to orientate himself.

He wasn't in his bed. In fact he wasn't even in his apartment.

He gasped, suddenly fully awake when he realized he had been sleeping in some sort of an alleyway in the city, right on the hard and dirty ground. The sounds of the city could be heard from not too far in the early morning air, helping him orientate himself. They sounded far too loud somehow though, worsening his headache.

The light seemed too bright, the noises too close, too shrill. The stench of the alley burned in his nose, almost as bad as the constant noises. Footsteps echoing off the walls. Animals scratching, clawing, hissing, fighting.

Derek looked around with wide eyes, blood rushing in his ears as he tried to think past the aching in his head. There were no people or animals he could see and yet the raucous around him made it seem like they were right there with him.

He flinched when a car´s tires screeched somewhere, the noise painful to his sensitive ears. This time he did cover them with his hands, closing his eyes as he desperately tried to focus and calm down, to remember how the hell he had ended up here.

God, he never felt so beside himself, not even after the worst of his nights out on the town. So drained and yet so hyper aware of everything, his surrounding and his body´s reactions. He could feel the adrenaline caused by his stress pumping through his veins like he´d just run a marathon, setting him on edge.

Focus, Derek.

Spencer. He had called Spencer on his way home from the gym. He had walked past the park and then-

He froze, shock petrifying him for a second as his memory of what had happened afterwards returned. That guy…he had attacked him…bitten him.

One of his hands clasped the side of his neck as if to make sure he hadn't just dreamed that. He expected pain at touching the open wound, but there was nothing, his fingers running over nothing but familiar, smooth skin.

Confused, he pushed himself to his feet, giving himself a once over. Apart from the utter lack of injuries, his appearance certainly did back up his story. His jeans and jacket were torn and dirty, stained with blood all over.

"Holy hell…" he muttered.

So that really had happened.

What the hell? What kind of a freak went around jumping and biting people like some kind of a rabid animal?

He cursed under his breath. He should probably be glad he wasn't dead, killed by that psycho…but he would have to go see a doctor to make sure he hadn't caught anything.

Still somewhat dizzy, he made his way towards the street, blinking against the harsh light. Cold sweat covered his skin. He felt ill and restless, his skin itching and crawling.

He had to go home.

Spencer would have noticed his absence by now and probably be livid with worry. Why hadn't he gone home? Had he just lost conscience after the bite? But why wasn't he still by the park then?

Derek pinched the bridge of his nose, trying hard to think past the aching of his head. The images that came to him felt like they were scenes from some movie he had seen a long time ago, so long indeed that he could barely remember its content.

He had been covered by shadows and the cold, surrounded by the sounds of the night. Dogs had howled as he passed them, cats cringing and hissing at him from the shadows. He didn't know where or who he was, could only hear his own ratting breath, could feel the heaviness of his dragging feet but he kept on running, just running through the night, trying to burn vast amounts of energy, trying to calm his racing pulse, his anxiety.

And then he had been there out of nowhere, in his arms, warm and fragile and trembling like a tiny bird. And all else had faded away, the pain, the cold, the confusion, leaving him focused on nothing but the fluttering heartbeat against his chest and the notion that he was where he needed to be, that he wanted, needed to be ever closer to what belonged with him, so he could hold him, protect him from the things scaring him and reassure them both.

Derek shuddered at the memory, again feeling that raw, animalistic rush of possessiveness tingling at the base of his spine.

He gasped, horrified when the memory cleared and he saw Spencer's tear streaked face in front of his mental eye, not at all ensured but trapped and frightened…frightened of him.

"Oh God," he muttered, shocked, "What did I do?"

The image of his nightmarish doppelganger pushing Spencer against a wall and licking his face flickered across his mind, freezing his blood. Oh, no.

Spencer must be a complete mess if that had really happened.

Derek ran a shaky hand over his face, cursing inwardly.

Damn it, he had had such a good grip on himself for years now, had gotten Spencer to trust him. But now, after how he had acted last night it might very well all be broken.

Without thinking any further he ran out into the street, heading for the university. He had no idea whether Spencer would even want to talk to him or not if he found him, but he had to try.

He had to fix this.

xxx

Leaving the apartment that morning, Spencer felt like he´d been run over by a truck.

He had barely slept three hours the night before, caught in between shocked numbness and phases of uncontrolled sobbing. What had happened had shaken him to the bone. And he was sure it had happened, hadn't just been a dream -he had spent the better part of his morning trying to clean up all the dirt and blood that Derek had dragged into the apartment.

What he couldn't understand was what and why.

What had happened to Derek? What had made him behave that way? What had made him seem like he wasn't even himself, like he didn't even recognize Spencer?

A shiver came over him. Derek was always so kind and caring, always making Spencer feel safe and protected when he was around. But last night he had seemed like a completely different person, frightening, uncontrolled, dangerous.

What could have caused a change as drastic as that? Drugs? No, Derek didn't use; he was an athlete after all.

He stayed sunken deep into thought until he reached the university, already late for his first class. Derek hadn't come back home that night…but maybe he would show up for classes?

Spencer bit his lip, suddenly feeling unreasonably cold. He needed to know what had happened, but even if he could find Derek he wasn't sure he could just walk up to him and ask. Not after the way Derek had behaved towards him.

He felt his stomach clench, his feeling of misery increasing. The most extraordinary thing about Derek had always been that even after a whole life of being bullied and terrorized by people like him, he had somehow managed to gain Spencer's trust and make him feel at ease around him.

Until yesterday night.

Spencer shuddered. What if he found Derek and he was still in that state?

xxx

He had to wait for almost an hour before Spencer's class was finally over.

Derek could feel people staring at him as they passed him on their way off the premise to the parking lot. He probably gave a scary picture leaning against one of the gates opposite the building's entrance, still wearing his ruined clothes. He had managed to clean his face and neck some in the university´s restroom but hadn't taken the time to run home and change. He had more important things to worry about right now.

It had been hours since he´d woken up but he still felt out it, his body and mind on edge. Something had changed, affecting him, and it wasn't due to a hangover, he could feel that now. Something on the inside felt odd, foreign. He couldn't quite put a finger on it, on that sensation he could feel crackling deep down, tingling in his fingertips.

It didn't feel particularly unpleasant but it worried him anyways. Something had to be wrong. He briefly wondered whether he had really been infected with something, and if he was already starting to experience the first symptoms.

Whatever it was, Spencer would know what to do about it. He always knew everything.

Derek breathed out loudly, his relief almost physical when the door to the building's entrance finally opened, students streaming outside.

He felt so painfully unsettled, so on edge right now that he really needed to see his friend…to calm himself, and to make sure everything was alright with the younger man. He didn't remember every detail of the night before but what he did remember wasn't too reassuring.

His worries seemed to manifest when Spencer walked out of the building, blanching visibly when his eyes fell on Derek waiting for him. He stopped in mid-step for a second, clearly wary of him as he assessed his posture and expression carefully.

The overwhelming need to walk over there and pull the slender young man into a bone crushing hug hit him out of nowhere, familiar but ten times stronger than usual.

Derek drew in a sharp breath, pushing the renewed urge down with a surprising amount of effort. Spencer looked spooked enough already.

He pushed himself off the gate and took a couple of steps closer, hoping it was clear on his face how torn and sorry and confused he was. He liked to think it worked, because Spencer stayed where he was even if his body language remained tense.

"Spencer...I know you're probably mad right now, but please just listen, ok? I'm really sorry."

But Spencer didn't look mad.

"Derek?" he breathed softly, like he had expected someone else and Derek thought he saw his friend´s shoulders sag in relief, relaxing slightly.

Shit, he really must have scared him with his behavior last night.

"Are you okay?"

He nodded, even if he wasn't quite sure about that. It was just so much like Spencer to ask him that question when it should be the other way around.

Spencer nodded, then hesitated before asking, "Derek…what happened last night? You were…" He broke off in mid sentence, his voice becoming so quiet Derek could barely make out the words.

He looked torn between worry and doubt.

"I have no idea," Derek said quickly, trying to explain, "Some guy attacked me yesterday on my way home. He bit me. Said something I couldn't understand, like…uhternum mehoustoo or something… I think I may have caught something, because I don't remember much after that and I'm feeling really weird."

He watched Spencer's eyes widen at his words, be it because what he said sounded ludicrous or because he was worried about him.

"Someone bit you?" he gasped and stepped closer, forgetting his reservations and immediately checking Derek for visible wounds and only continuing when he couldn't find any, "How is that-wait, you mean you don't remember coming back to the apartment?"

Big hazel eyes looked up at him warily, almost hopefully and Derek couldn't help but look down in shame at that. He really wished he didn't remember. He still didn't know how he could have lost control that easily.

"I remember scaring you," he admitted quietly, taking a risk when he reached out for Spencer's hand gingerly, "I never meant to…I'm so sorry. I don't know what came over me…it´s like I wasn't myself…but I didn't mean to hurt you, you've got to believe that."

He was immensely relieved when Spencer didn't pull away from him, even if he couldn't help but notice the tiny flinch when they touched. The small hand in his felt cold and fragile, and he found himself fighting the urge to pull Spencer close to him for the second time in as many minutes.

What the hell was wrong with him? Since when had he so little control over himself?

He held his breath, trying to focus on something, on anything else.

Seemingly oblivious to his thoughts, his friend watched him for a long moment before apparently coming to the conclusion that he was telling the truth no matter how unbelievable his story sounded.

"It…it didn't seem like it was you…the way you acted…I…when you…my face…" he broke off, looking away.

Derek cringed. He didn't have to hear the full sentence to know what was being referred to. Apparently Spencer remembered it, too, and was disturbed by that especially. No wonder with their history.

"It wasn't—" he quickly shook his head, trying to explain, "You were crying and I wanted to…comfort you, I guess."

Spencer looked at him incredulously, "By licking my face?"

Derek didn't give an answer because he didn't have a reasonable one, just the memory of the emotion that had led him to act out of instinct.

He almost expected Spencer to call him a liar or turn away from him after all as the silence stretched between them. When he looked up though, Spencer merely looked much more worried about him than before.

"We have to take you to a doctor then," he said, squeezing Derek´s hand urgently.

It seemed he was all too happy to attribute Derek's unacceptable behavior to some exotic brain frying disease and Derek couldn't really find it in him to argue with that, too glad that Spencer wasn't turning away from him despite everything.

He was about to reply when someone else did it for him.

"That won't be necessary. I have the solution to your problem, Derek."

They both spun around at the sound of the unexpected voice, finding a middle aged man with dark hair and a goatee standing by the gate, smiling as he casually arranged the buttons on his expensive looking suit.

"You!" Derek hissed, recognizing him immediately, "You're that freak who bit me!"

He moved in front of Spencer instinctively, taking up a defensive stance. The man wasn't even doing anything but something about him had the hairs on Derek's neck standing up. He seemed to ooze darkness, callousness, power.

"You may call me David," the man smiled, seemingly unfazed by Derek's reaction as he gestured towards a sleek black car waiting close to the gate on the street behind him, "Now if you will come with me I can explain what is happening to you."

"Like hell I am!" Derek snapped, feeling Spencer's fingers dig into the fabric of his jacket from behind like he was trying to hold him back.

He could feel adrenaline rushing through his veins, a potent mixture of anger and fear for his friend eating away at his composure. That freak had better not come one inch closer to Spencer if he knew what was good for him.

"You had better leave us the hell alone before I go to the cops, got it?"

The man calling himself David merely smiled knowingly at his violent reaction, "Relax. It's not your friend I want, Derek. He can leave any time. But ..."

The last part was said with sudden intensity, his eyes boring into Derek's, making him freeze, trapped.

Before he knew what was happening he felt his feet move of their own volition, towards David, towards the car.

Behind him, Spencer gasped as he lost hold of him.

"Derek!"

He couldn't turn around. He tried, desperate to make sure Spencer was okay but it seemed physically impossible to do anything but follow David´s order.

Without another word, he followed the stranger to his car, getting into the back. He found his pulse racing as he tried to get back in control of his own body, only glad that at least Spencer was away from danger for now.

David got in after him, telling the driver to leave in an infuriatingly pleased tone. Derek couldn't even turn his head to take one last look at Spencer before they drove off into the unknown.

"What the hell is this?" he hissed, hands clenching in a fruitless effort to move, "What is happening to me?"

"Don't worry," David told him without turning around, "You´ll find out soon enough."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Investigations

Spencer Reid was beginning to go mad with worry.

It had been three days since his best friend had gotten into a car with some stranger and driven off without any sort of explanation.

One minute he had cursed the guy, accused him of attacking him even, the next he had wordlessly complied to the man's order to come with him. He hadn't shown back up since, and Spencer had gotten no messages, no phone call, nothing.

No one else had heard from him either, not his friends, not Penelope, not his mother, not his sisters. It was like he had vanished off of the face of the earth.

"What are we going to do, Pen?" Spencer sat on his friend´s couch, tiredly burying his face in his hands, "We´ve looked everywhere."

That was more than true. He and Penelope had searched for Derek absolutely everywhere; they had even alarmed the police but had been sent away with the information that a grown man who willingly got into a car was not going to be seen as a kidnapping victim by anyone.

"What if something really awful happened to him?" Spencer whispered into his hands, full of self doubt, "I didn't even do anything to stop him from getting into that car…"

He remembered he had been more than wary of Derek that day, due to what had happed the night before…but sitting in that empty apartment day after day worrying, had him quickly forgetting about that aspect.

A warm hand rubbed his back soothingly and when he looked up, Penelope's eyes were just as troubled as his though a bit less desperate.

"I'm sure he's fine, hon. Derek can look out for himself," she said softly, "Maybe he just doesn't know how to come back to us. Maybe he needs someone to come find him."

"But how?" Spencer shook his head hopelessly, "All I know is the guy's first name. I don't even have the license plate number."

He was itching to do something instead of just sitting here -but he was running out of options.

Meanwhile Derek was in great danger. That much Spencer knew for sure. He knew there was a whole lot to this he didn't know or understand about the situation but he knew that Derek was in trouble and that he had to do something.

After much consideration he had let Penny in on what had happened and what Derek had told him about the attack, leaving out only the small bit about Derek actually licking his face. He wasn't sure if she believed him, or just thought he had snapped but she didn't try to help any less either way.

And so they did the only thing they hadn't tried yet. They called private investigators in the area, asking them for assistance.

After two hours and thirty some very one sided phone conversations, Spencer came to the conclusion that no one in the city was too keen on taking a case that had to do with some guy biting another causing him to act all weird and then sort of kidnapping him by inviting him into his car.

He was just calling one of the last numbers on his list, tempted to leave out the bits that sounded a bit too whacky even if that didn't leave him with much information, when he got a surprise. The woman who answered listened to his description calmly before actually giving him an appointment for the very same day with her employer.

"Are you sure you want to go down there?" Penny asked afterwards, worriedly staring at the address he had scribbled down on a piece of paper, "That's not the best part of town. I don't want to have to go looking for you, too."

Spencer offered her a wry, shaky smile, "I have to. I need to find him."

Tearing up at his expression, she nodded in understanding and kissed his head before getting up and grabbing her coat. "I would come with you but my shift starts in five minutes and I already missed out on my last one when we went to the police station..."

"It´s fine," Spencer told her as they walked to the door together, "I'll be fine on my own."

xx

Less than an hour later he was standing in front of an old office building in one of the worst parts of the city, nervously fiddling with his satchel as he looked around warily. The sun had set about two hours ago and nervous as he was he had jumped at every shadow from the bus station till here, but he had refused to turn around.

Gulping, he tore his gaze off a hooded figure leaning against the building on the opposite side of the street who looked like he would offer him some crack if he were to come any closer, instead focusing on what he was here for.

He pushed down the ill feeling that overcame him as he entered the rundown building in front of him.

Surprisingly, the inside looked a lot better than the outside, but he couldn't be sure if that was just due to them dim lighting. He walked through an old foyer, past outdated furniture that seemed to make up a small waiting area, over to a wooden reception desk. There was no one there, no bell to ring.

Spencer let his gaze wander anyway, determined not to give up now that he was already here. His eyes found a door to his right, closed but with light shining out from underneath it.

He walked closer, heart suddenly beating loudly in his chest as he read the golden plate that had been nailed to the door.

Aaron Hotchner. Private Investigator.

This was it. His last chance to find Derek.

xxxx

Aaron "Hotch" Hotchner was aware of the foreign presence from the moment the person stepped foot into his building.

It had been a while since the last breather had found their way here and the sudden sound of a heart beat in the dead silence of the evening was almost startling.

He set his pen down as he listened, his paper work forgotten for the moment. Light, hesitant footsteps slowly made their way through the foyer, approaching his office and finally coming to a halt in front of his door. A fast heartbeat indicated nervousness. Clearly not someone who knew of his true nature though; he always recognized those visitors by the smell of unadulterated fear radiating from them.

That only left the new client Jessica had announced would come by in her usual notes to him before she had left this afternoon. Something about a kidnapping and some college student getting bitten by a man named David had caught her interest.

Hotch smirked slightly. She was a bright girl. Assuming that this David person was the David Rossi, the man he was interested in was a long shot, but it was better than all the dead ends they had come across in the past months.

Maybe this client would have some useful information he could use for his own plans.

If they ever got up the guts to come in, that was.

"It´s open," he called out before there even was a knock on the door, chuckling inaudibly when the heart outside skipped a beat and then stated beating even faster.

A moment later, the door opened and a young man about twenty appeared, almost shyly glancing into the room.

Hotch looked up, his eyes widening fractionally at the sight he was faced with. For a moment he merely stared without blinking, taking in the lithe frame and long honey colored locks which fell into a delicate face with the loveliest eyes he had seen in over a decade.

"Uhm, Mr. Hotchner?"

He blinked, to his embarrassment realizing that he had briefly spaced out, and reigned himself in quickly.

"That's me, do come in, please," he said in his usual polite and well manned tone, "I´ll be with you in a minute."

It turned out to be a very bad idea.

If he had thought the young man´s looks were off throwing he hadn't expected what came once he stepped closer and sat down.

It hit him out of nowhere, a sudden, delicious scent reaching his nostrils, setting his entire body on edge with unwelcome hunger. Raw, primal instinct, one he hadn't allowed himself to feel in a very long time, suddenly had every cell in his body screaming at him in hunger and want, taking his breath away. He barely kept from slapping a hand over his mouth at the unexpected loss of control and stopped breathing instantly.

It didn't do much. Suddenly the pulse he was hearing seemed intensified, drawing him in, towards the unsuspecting boy.

With immense effort he forced himself to suppress his first instinct and grab his pen instead of the human in front of him, lowering his head and staring blankly at the surface of his desk as he pretended to finish up the report in front of him.

What the hell?

He tried to calm down, tried to remember the last time he had fed. It hadn't been that long ago, had it?

"Mr. Hotchner?" To make things even worse, the kid leaned forward slightly and the delicious scent he emitted grew even stronger. Hotch gripped the edge of his desk so tightly he could feel the wood splintering underneath his fingertips as he stared at the young man who was now fumbling with the strap of the satchel he was carrying, looking nervous and somewhat displaced.

Hazel eyes met his gaze warily and Hotch could all but feel his resolve to be here fading with every second he didn't move.

"Yes," he ground out, fighting the sudden urge to draw a deep savoring breath.

He couldn't remember the last time he had smelled something as enticing as this and found himself fighting for control for the first time in decades.

The young man didn't seem to notice; if anything he seemed a little intimidated by the dark glare directed at him. "Um, my name is Spencer Reid, I spoke to your secretary earlier? She said you could help me…"

Right, Hotch thought. The case. Rossi. Get a grip.

"I remember," he forced himself to nod calmly, only slowly regaining control over himself, "Something about a friend of yours being missing?"

He was glad when Spencer nodded and eagerly started telling him about his problems, clearly unaware of how much danger he was in at the moment.

With the first shock passed, Aaron´s grip on himself grew steadier but he still remained carefully still in his chair, trying hard to keep breathing to an absolute minimum and listen instead of just staring at the pale, inviting throat in front of him.

He had no explanation for what was happening to him. On the one hand the thirst he felt scorching his throat at the moment wasn't unfamiliar. But it had never hit him in this intensity unless he hadn't had blood in a very long time.

Considering how long he had existed and worked around humans, he had enough control to barely get distracted by their scents anymore unless he was starved or they decided to slash open their wrists right in front of him. And yet unbidden images of grabbing this slight human and dragging him over the desk into a surely deadly embrace kept flashing across him mind, tempting and urgent. He could feel his gums itching at the mere thought of burying his face in that neck…

God, he hadn't wanted to drink so badly in years. What was that? Why did he smell so good?

Fighting to remain in control, he tried to focus on the boy´s large, lively eyes.

He wasn't surprised to find that that didn't make resisting any easier.


End file.
